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Old 08-11-2008, 01:00 AM   #1
smariner
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Newbie: Which reader to buy? Is kindle my only choice?
Hello everyone...this is my first post. I'm new to the world of eBook reader (I have used the Kindle for a few days). Now, I'm in the process of selecting a eBook reader for myself. Can you help me select the one that meets my requirements.
  • Budget is not a constraint, though I'd prefer to spend less than $500
  • My library offers DRMed OverDrive eBooks in the mobipocket & Adobe PDF eBook formats -- would prefer a device that supports these formats.
  • Access to lots of eBooks
  • I use Amazon to read reviews of books & get Amazon gift certificates often - -so, wouldn't mind buying eBooks from Amazon, but they seem to offers books only in the Kindle format?
  • Would prefer to buy a device that doesn't need to be replaced (due to format/hardware issues) for at least 2 years
  • I have used the Kindle for a few days; though it's usability is not perfect, I'm fine with it

If the Kindle could read OverDrive's mobipocket and/or Adobe PDF eBook formats, I'd just stick with the Kindle. I did read a blog that describes how to convert mobipocket books to the kindle format (is this legal in the US for mobipocket books that I have bought??)

I also worry if I'd be buying the Kindle just before v2 comes out (there's already a rumor out there).

Given these requirements -- do I have a choice other than the Kindle?
Last edited by smariner; 08-11-2008 at 01:23 AM.
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Old 08-11-2008, 01:06 AM   #2
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If you want library books, your only choice is Sony Reader, as it can read Secure PDFs. Kindle cannot read any secure Mobi files besides those coming from Amazon itself (.AZW).
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Old 08-11-2008, 01:14 AM   #3
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Originally Posted by igorsk View Post
If you want library books, your only choice is Sony Reader, as it can read Secure PDFs. Kindle cannot read any secure Mobi files besides those coming from Amazon itself (.AZW).

Thanks for your response. The blog at http://igorsk.blogspot.com/2007/12/m...on-kindle.html (is this yours?) describes a way to read DRM-ed MobiPocket ebooks on the Kindle? Are you implying that this approach will not work for the OverDrive mobipocket eBooks from the my library?
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Old 08-11-2008, 03:09 AM   #4
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Originally Posted by igorsk View Post
If you want library books, your only choice is Sony Reader, as it can read Secure PDFs. Kindle cannot read any secure Mobi files besides those coming from Amazon itself (.AZW).
This is incorrect. The Gen3 can happily read Mobi-format library books.
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Old 08-11-2008, 05:35 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by smariner View Post
The blog at http://igorsk.blogspot.com/2007/12/m...on-kindle.html (is this yours?) describes a way to read DRM-ed MobiPocket ebooks on the Kindle? Are you implying that this approach will not work for the OverDrive mobipocket eBooks from the my library?
It might work, if your library accepts Kindle's PID and the "fixed" books still work on latest Kindle firmware (I think there were some reports of Kindle rejecting them).
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This is incorrect. The Gen3 can happily read Mobi-format library books.
Yes, I indeed forgot about Cybook. As far as I recall, reading time-limited books requires uploading a text file with timestamp - a feature which doesn't seem to be documented anywhere but Mobilread.

So far, Reader is the only one that allows reading DRMed library books "out of the box".
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Old 08-11-2008, 07:17 AM   #6
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What about the iLiad? Doesn't that read library based Mobipocket eBooks?

You can remove the DRM from Mobipocket eBooks with MobiDeDRM.py and then happily convert to LRF for the Sony using Calibre or read them on the Kindle, iLiad, Gen3 as is.
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Old 08-11-2008, 08:20 AM   #7
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You're not really going to claim that stripping DRM from library books is legal, are you Jon?
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Old 08-11-2008, 01:51 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by smariner View Post
Thanks for your response. The blog at http://igorsk.blogspot.com/2007/12/m...on-kindle.html (is this yours?) describes a way to read DRM-ed MobiPocket ebooks on the Kindle? Are you implying that this approach will not work for the OverDrive mobipocket eBooks from the my library?
Yes, you can download mobipocket format library books from the Overdrive library service that many of the U.S. public libraries use. The key is Igorsk scripts. The overdrive system takes the Kindle PID and they work on the Kindle after being run through Kindlefix. Many thanks again Igorsk!!! I regularly download and read library books and so do several of my friends that have Kindles.

Incidentally, a recent wrinkle in the Overdrive library download system is that they are now offering MP3 audiobooks that are compatible with Ipod devices. Not all the libraries have them as yet, but several of the bigger ones are like mine and the New York Public Library do. So they've solved the drm'd format for Ipod as well.

All the files are time-stamped. Some librarys give you 14 days, others 21 days. The time stamp doesn't expire, however until you connect your Kindle to your computer or Whispernet, so if you're in the middle of a good book, finish it first.

cheers
Last edited by Leep; 08-11-2008 at 01:55 PM. Reason: additional info
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Old 08-12-2008, 02:10 PM   #9
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One thing I would advise regarding library books is to look at the books offered that you want to read and see which formats they use. In my library's collection, many are in either DRMed PDF or Mobipocket but not both. Most of the books in our collection are PDF and for those the Sony is currently your only option. Sony folks can answer this: Do you need the 505 with the latest firmware for secure PDF?

If you do decide to follow Jon's suggestion of stripping the DRM off legality aside, please don't upload or share those books. If we want to convince publishers to drop DRM, we have to behave responsibly. Just my $0.02.
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Old 08-12-2008, 04:27 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by smariner View Post
Hello everyone...this is my first post. I'm new to the world of eBook reader (I have used the Kindle for a few days). Now, I'm in the process of selecting a eBook reader for myself. Can you help me select the one that meets my requirements.
  • My library offers DRMed OverDrive eBooks in the mobipocket & Adobe PDF eBook formats -- would prefer a device that supports these formats.
  • I use Amazon to read reviews of books & get Amazon gift certificates often - -so, wouldn't mind buying eBooks from Amazon, but they seem to offers books only in the Kindle format?

If the Kindle could read OverDrive's mobipocket and/or Adobe PDF eBook formats.
[/B]
No you have plenty of good choices. From the list above (I took out the bullets that applied to all devices)

For secure DRM MOBI ebooks the CyBook is your only solution. I'm not aware of any other e-Ink reader that supports secure MOBI. ( I can read secure mobi on my windows Mobile 5 phone but that was not your question ).

For secure DRM PDF/ePub Sony is your only solution is the SONY PRS-505. There is no other mobile device that reads secure PDFs/ePub.

It sounds like you are familiar with modifying the eBook files, so ....

There are know cracks that remove DRM on MOBI books. If you are okay with that then that pretty much opens up most readers. There are several readers that support MOBI natively others have software that easily converts MOBI to their native format


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Old 08-13-2008, 05:03 AM   #11
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For secure DRM MOBI ebooks the CyBook is your only solution. I'm not aware of any other e-Ink reader that supports secure MOBI.
The iLiad also supports secure Mobi in both its normal and "library book" forms.
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Old 08-13-2008, 04:50 PM   #12
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The iLiad also supports secure Mobi in both its normal and "library book" forms.
Thanks Harry. This got me thinking do we have a WIKI table reference for what formats are supported by what devices.

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Old 08-13-2008, 04:55 PM   #13
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Thanks Harry. This got me thinking do we have a WIKI table reference for what formats are supported by what devices.

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There's the ever popular MobileRead Wiki Matrix.
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Old 08-14-2008, 01:00 PM   #14
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Hi everyone...

Not to hijack this thread, but I'd like to know as well if you need the 505's firmware upgrade before you can read secure PDF's.

I just got the 505 a few days ago, and it's not upgraded. I'd like to get some library books to take with me on my trip to Japan, but I'm a little nervous about doing the firmware update before the trip due to a few people here ending up with bricks....I'd likely not be able to replace it before I left, if that happened.

Thanks!!

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Old 08-14-2008, 01:02 PM   #15
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Hi everyone...

Not to hijack this thread, but I'd like to know as well if you need the 505's firmware upgrade before you can read secure PDF's.
Yes, you do.
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